Following the Washington State Legislature’s recent decision to uphold significant cuts to state student aid programs, the University of Puget Sound has announced it will reallocate institutional funding to ensure affected students can continue their education without additional financial burden.
The move reaffirms Puget Sound’s long-standing dedication to making a world-class liberal arts education affordable and accessible to all scholars, regardless of their financial background.
The University of Puget Sound has been recognized as a College of Distinction for the 2025–2026 academic year. It has received national recognition in four categories: College of Distinction, Business College of Distinction, College of Distinction for Career Development, and, for the first time, a College of Distinction for Transfer Support.
The University of Puget Sound recently held the Puget Sound Symposium on AI & Privacy, bringing together an interdisciplinary group of scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to address the ethical and legal challenges posed by the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence. The event successfully fostered critical dialogue across different sectors about how AI impacts personal data, influences governance models, and redefines the boundaries of mental privacy.
With the FIFA World Cup 2026™ less than a month away, the University of Puget Sound has launched a new Faculty Experts page — a resource designed to connect journalists, community members, and organizations with faculty whose scholarship and experience bring depth to the global tournament.
University of Puget Sound Assistant Professor of Biology Elisa Frankel has launched a new research program focused on synapses, the vital connections between brain cells, following a successful grant proposal to the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. The project investigates the molecular mechanisms that help synapses remain stable as the nervous system ages.
Rovin Ian Antonio ’23, DPT’26 is graduating with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. An army veteran and Puget Sound alumnus, Antonio has been a steadfast leader within his cohort, serving as co-president of the Student Physical Therapy Association. In this role, he organized program-wide events and secured partnerships to fund student research and global travel. Antonio also coordinated the Fall 2025 PT/OT Job Fair, connecting more than a hundred students with potential employers.
Isa Fitzgibbons ’26 is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts. Since joining the University of Puget Sound as a transfer student, Isa has distinguished herself as an exemplary scholar and artist, stepping into leadership roles both on and off the stage. In 2025, she studied abroad in London and was one of 15 students to receive the Agricola Scholar Award, which she used to develop Every Sound I’ve Ever Made, an original one-woman show weaving together writing from various women authors.
The University of Puget Sound will launch a new interdisciplinary emphasis in Artificial Intelligence and Human Values in Fall 2026, offering students a structured pathway to understand AI not just as a technology but as a force reshaping democracy, creativity, health care, law, and human relationships.
The University of Puget Sound is celebrating major milestone anniversaries for three honor societies this year. Phi Kappa Phi is in its 50th year, Phi Beta Kappa is in its 40th, and Phi Eta Sigma (formerly SPURS) is in its 20th. Mortar Board celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022.
